


Powerless

by LysseC



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-07
Updated: 2014-12-07
Packaged: 2018-02-28 12:09:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2731940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LysseC/pseuds/LysseC
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You’re the strongest of us all", his father told Madara once, when he was not even in his teens, "you must be the one to protect your brothers, for you’re the only one who can".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Powerless

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Madafest on Tumblr and republished here only now because reasons.  
> The prompt was Power.

_You're so important for everyone_

_ You play the role of all you long to be _

_ But I know who you really are _

_ You're the one who cries when you're alone _

 

 

 

Madara doesn’t cry at Izuna’s funeral.

He performs the seals, and burns his brother’s body to ashes, like his father did with three of his sons many years ago.

 

He leaves shortly after the flames had died down, deaf to his clansmen’s condolences. All he can hear is the same mantra that has been playing nonstop in his head since he realized Izuna was not going to survive that wound.

_It’s my fault, my fault, it’s only my fault. I am the strongest. I should have protected him._

 

And it doesn’t matter that Izuna had been too far from him when Tobirama Senju sliced through him, that Madara was occupied not getting gutted by Hashirama in the meanwhile, that their field medic had foolishly died because he couldn’t find it in himself to stay away from the frontlines. It doesn’t matter that it was Izuna himself who stopped him from accepting Hashirama’s extended hand, that it was his little brother’s pride and lack of trust in the Senju to lead him away from the only one who could have saved his life.

None of this matters, because _you’re the strongest of us all_ , his father told him once, when he was not even in his teens, _you must be the one to protect your brothers, for you’re the only one who can_.

 

So Madara kneels in front of his father, takes his wrinkled hands in his, shedding them with tears, and begs for forgiveness, even if Tajima Uchiha is too gone in the head to understand what his son is saying. And Madara kneels, and cries, and covers Izuna’s eyes with their father's hands, praying that his brother’s last gift to him will be able to accomplish the only deed his oh-so-great powers couldn’t themselves do, the only thing he truly needed them for.

**Author's Note:**

> Lyrics from Evanescence, "Where Will You Go".
> 
> I like the idea of Tajima being alive but old and incapacitated, and becoming some sort of personification of Madara's duties to his Clan.


End file.
